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ISBN
0-9168-06-09
Target Grades
Middle School
Publication Date
1982
Publisher
Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children
Number of Pages
96
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Summary
One day Harry finds himself giving the wrong answer in science class and begins to wonder where he has gone wrong. This reflection soon involves his classmates, who begin to think together about the nature of thinking, inquiry and knowledge. With the help of their teacher, Harry and his classmates discover rules of formal and informal logic, relational logic and hypothetical thinking—-not as ends in themselves, but as tools in helping them understand themselves and their world. Some of the ideas they begin to explore this way include education, mind, rights, religion, art, cause and effect, causes and reasons, and fallibilism. Set within a group of middle school classmates and their families, this novel offers several models of reasonable dialogue, among young people and adults. Adults with a background in philosophy will easily recognize the perennial philosophical issues raised in the story. However, no such background is necessary for young people or adults to enjoy this thought-provoking novel.
Excerpt
Excerpt from Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery, Chapter 14, episode 1, pp. 69-73
As they traced their way back through the rooms of the museum, Suki stopped in front of a portrait. "He's pretty, isn't he?" she said with a smile.
"That's Titus," replied Anne. "He was Rembrandt's son. I believe he was about eight years old when this was painted, and I think he died a while later."
Suki was no longer smiling. "Poor man," she said, "it's hard to lose someone you love very much."
As they walked home through the park, Anne said, "It's funny, to me that was always just a nice painting. But to you, it was like it was a real person."
"Oh, no," replied Suki, "I know the painting wasn't a real person. In fact, I guess that's why I've never liked paintings much, because they're not alive. I really like it when you point out the colors to me and how they're arranged, but to me, paintings have always been just big smeary squares of canvas. It's only when it's got something to do with life or with people that I can find any interest in it." Suki smiled when she saw Anne frown at her remarks. "After all," she concluded, "people and things are very different, and to me a painting is just a thing."
"But you like plants," protested Anne, "and plants are just things."
"Well, but they're living things," Suki countered.
"Maybe they're living," said Anne, "but they've got no feelings, and they don't show any kind of expression. And yet paintings, even though they're just things, do show expression. So it's not as simple as you thought." To herself, Anne added, "It's not as simple as I thought either."
Suki said softly, "I've always thought of paintings as just pretty things, like bracelets - you know; something ornamental. I never thought of them as having feelings."
"Well, they don't have them," replied Anne, "but they do show them. And not only feelings, but ideas too. Lots of times I can just look at a painting and it's as if I knew right away what the painter's thought was."
Suki considered what Anne said, then she responded, "So plants are part of nature and don't show feelings. And paintings are man-made, and they do show feelings. But what about the human face and the human body? They're not manmade, and yet they do show feelings. So that's a third type altogether, isn't it?"
Anne put her arm around Suki's shoulder and gave her a little hug, and though she didn't say a word, she smiled as if to say, "Yes, Suki, that's it, yes... yes... yes."
Archival Materials
Sources and References for Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery by Matthew Lipman
Editions
Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery, by Matthew Lipman; published 1982 in Montclair, New Jersey by The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children
Translations
- Arabic translation (Egypt) by Kamal El Guendy Naguib. Unpublished Offset. [Need title].
- Australian adaptation: Lipman, Matthew [need date]. Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery. Adapted by Laurance J. Splitter. Camberwell, Victoria, Australia: Australian Council for Educational Research.
- Australian adaptation by Michael Macklin, unpublished.
- British adaptation (UK) by Michael Whalley. [Need title & publication information.]
- Catalan translation (Spain): Lipman, Matthew (2017) La descoberta de l'Aristòtil Mas. Translated by Josep-Maria Terricabras, revised and abbreviated by Manuela Gómez and Irene de Puig, with literary adaptation by Rodolfo del Hoyo. Girona, Spain: Eumo Editorial, Universitat de Girona. [Donated to Sprague]
- Catalan translation (Spain): Lipman, Matthew (1994) la descoberta de l'Aristòtil mas. Translated by Josep-Maria Terricabras. Girona, Spain: Eumo Editorial, Universitat de Girona.
- Chinese translation (PRC): Lipman, Matthew (1997) 聪聪的发现 [Cong Cong's Discovery]. Translated by 廖伯琴 (Boqin Liao). 太原 : 山西教育出版社 [Tai yuan : Shan xi jiao yu chu ban she].
- Chinese translation (ROC): Lipman, Matthew (1982) 哲學教室 [The Philosophy Classroom]. Translated by 楊茂秀 (Maoxiu Yang). 臺北市 : 臺灣學生書局 [Taipei City, Republic of China: Taiwan Student Bookstore].
- Chinese translation (ROC) by Peter Yang, 1978. [Need title & publication information.]
- Danish translation by Holger Scheibel, 1983. Unpublished Offset. [Need title & publication information.]
- Farsi translation by Farzaneh Shahrtash [need bibliographic information].
- Finnish translation (Finland): Lipman, Matthew (1994) Harri: päättelyn taitoja [Harry: reasoning skills]. Translated by Satu Honkala. Helsinki, Finland: Painatuskeskus.
- French translation (Belgium): Lipman, Matthew, Ann Margaret Sharp, and Frederick S. Oscanyan (1998) La découverte de Harry Stotélès: livre de l'élève. Translated and adapted by Marie Aviles, Anne-Marie Delcarte, Chantal Duray, France Paquay, Hélène Schidlowsky, Albert Tombeur, Patricia Vrebos. Brussels, Belgium: (Publisher not indicated).
- French translation (Quebec, Canada): Lipman, Matthew, Ann Margaret Sharp, and Frederick S. Oscanyan (1993) La découverte de Harry. Translated by Michel Haguette. Québec City, Québec, Canada: Faculté de philosophie, Université Laval. ISBN: 978428011. Available for purchase here.
- French translation (France): Lipman, Matthew (1978) La Découverte d'Harry Stottlemeier. Aristote et les nouveaux jeunes philosophes [Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery. Aristotle and the New Young Philosophers]. Translated by Pierre Belaval. Paris, France: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin.
- French translation (Quebec) by Michel Haguette, published 1986. [Need title & publication information.]
- German translation (Austria): Lipman, Matthew (2009). Harry Stottelmeiers Entdeckung [Harry Stottelmeier's Discovery]. Trans. and edited by Daniela G. Camhy. Sankt Augustin, Germany: Academia Verlag. [Donated to Sprague]
- German translation (Austria): Lipman, Matthew (1990) Harry Stottlemeiers Entdeckung. Edited by Daniela G. Camhy; translated by Ursula Scheer. Vienna, Austria: Hölder-Pichker-Tempsky. ISBN 9783896654809.
- German translation (Germany): (1984) [Title unknown.] Trans. John Alexander and Martin Glatzel. Hanover, DE: Schroedel Verlag
- Hebrew (Israel): (1978) [Title unknown.] Trans. Leora Barash. Tel Aviv, IL: Massadah.
- Icelandic translation (Iceland): Lipman, Matthew (1990) Uppgötvun Ara. Translated by Hreinn Pálsson. Reykjavík, Iceland: Heimspekiskólinn.
- Italian translation by Donatella Semproni. [Need title & publication information.]
- Italian translation (Italy): Lipman, Matthew (1992) Il prisma dei perché [The Prism of Whys]. Translated by Caterina Iannuzzi; adapted by Antonio Cosentino. Rome: Armando. ISBN 9788820728731. Available for purchase here.
- Persian/Farsi translation (Iran): Lipman, Matthew (2018) کشف هری استاتلمایر. Translated by بهروز شجاعیان [Behrooz Shojaeian] and Monir Abedi; edited by Hossein Sheikhrezaee. Unpublished manuscript.
- Persian/Farsi translation (Iran): Lipman, Matthew (2021/1400) استاتلمایر هری کشف و کندوکاو فلسفی [Philosophical Inquiry].Translated by بهروز شجاعیان [Behrooz Shojaeian], edited by محمدرضا واعظ شهرستانی [Mohammad Reza Vaez Shahrestani]. Tehran, Iran: انتشارات کرگدن و مرکز ایرانی توسعه و پیشبرد فلسفه برای کودکان و جوانان [Rhino Publications and the Iranian Center for the Development and Advancement of Philosophy for Children and Youth].
- Portuguese translation (Portugal): Lipman, Matthew (1994) A descoberta de Aristóteles Maia. Translated and adapted by Maria Luísa Guia Abreu. Lisbon, Portugal: Edições Colibri. ISBN 9789728047849.
- Spanish translation (Argentina): Lipman, Matthew (1993) El descubrimiento de Ari Stóteles. Translated by Gloria Arbonés, Walter O. Kohan, and Vera Waksman. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Universidad de Buenos Aires Facultad de Filosofía y Letras.
- Spanish translation (Argentina): Lipman, Matthew (2011) El descubrimiento de Ari Stóteles. Translated by Cecilia Caputo and Andrea Pac. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Novedades Educativas. ISBN 9789875380073. Available for purchase here.
- Spanish translation (Chile) by Ana Maria Hartman, 1982. [Need title & publication information.]
- Spanish translation (Chile): Lipman, Matthew (2017) Ari. Translated by Celso López S. and Ana María Vicuña N. Santiago, Chile: Ediciones Universidad Católica de Chile. ISBN 9789561422001. Available for purchase here.
- Spanish translation (Colombia): Lipman, Matthew (2003) El descubrimiento de Harry: novela de logica formal [Harry's Discovery: A Formal Logic Novel]. Translated by Diego Antonio Pineda Rivera. Bogotá, D.C. : Editora Beta.
- Spanish translation (Mexico) by Esperanza Perez-Gill, published by Colegio La Paz, 1983. [Need title]
- Spanish translation (Mexico): Lipman, Matthew (1993) El descubrimiento de Aristeo Téllez [The Discovery of Aristeo Téllez]. Translated by Araceli Delgado. Mexico City, Mexico: Universidad Iberoamericana. ISBN 9789688591062.
- Spanish translation (Mexico): Lipman, Matthew (2001; 2013; 2018) El Descubrimiento de Filio Episteme. Translated and adapted by Claudia Hernández de Ponce de León and Eugenio Echeverría. San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico: Centro Latinoamericano de Filosofía para Niños. ISBN 9789687557090. Available for purchase here.
- Spanish translation (Peru) by Francisco Rubinos. [Need title & publication information.]
- Spanish translation (Spain): Lipman, Matthew (1989) El descubrimiento de Harry. Translated by Miguel Lizano Ordovás. Madrid: Ediciones de la Torre. ISBN: 9788479605650. Available for purchase here.
- Spanish translation (Spain): Lipman, Matthew (1994) A descuberta de Harry. Translated by Manuel Miragaia. Madrid: Ediciones de la Torre. ISBN 9788479600655.
- Spanish translation (country?) by Oscar Marti. [Need title & publication information.]
- Spanish translation (Country not indicated): Lipman, Matthew (Date not indicated) El descubrimiento de Aristides Hoteles. Translated by Maria Victoria Cox de Palmer. Place of publication not indicated.
Keywords
logic, philosophy, education, aesthetics, ethics
Published Reviews and Research
- Baldwin, Gail (1987) Harry: The Connections. Analytic Teaching 8(1): 103-105.
- Browning, Barbara K. (1983) Using Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery in Mini Session. Analytic Teaching 3(2): 43.
- Browning, Becky (1987) Harry in Three Classes. Analytic Teaching 8(1): 70-72.
- Browning, Becky (1989) Harry After School. Analytic Teaching 10(1): 87-90.
- Burnes, Bruce (1981) Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery: The Minnesota Experience. Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children 3(1): 8-11.
- Burnes, Bruce (1983) Who is Harry Stottlemeier Anyway? Analytic Teaching 3(2): 39-40.
- Cavnar, Adam (1986) Understanding. Analytic Teaching 6(2): 27.
- Cavnar, Adam (1986) Poor Dale. Analytic Teaching 6(2): 28.
- Copple, Lynda M. (1985) Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery and Fifth-Grade High Ability Language Arts Class. Analytic Teaching 6(1): 43-46.
- Crawford, Sr. Kristin (1986) The Process of Inquiry. Analytic Teaching 6(2): 30.
- Crawford, Sr. Kristin (1986) Figuring Things Out. Analytic Teaching 6(2): 31.
- Davidson, Janet E. (1998) What Harry Discovered: A Review of Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery. Analytic Teaching 9(2): 127-128.
- Gordon, Rebecca (1982) Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery in a Fifth Grade Class. Analytic Teaching 3(1): 3-5.
- Gordon, Rebecca (1983) Second Thoughts About Harry. Analytic Teaching 3(2): 29-30.
- Geise, Paul G. (1987) Harry, Chapter 17. Analytic Teaching 7(2): 31-32.
- Gunter, Cynthia (1988) A Report on Harry Stottlemeier. Analytic Teaching 9(1): 63-87.
- Johnson, Tony W. (1987) Philosophy for Children – Going beyond the Information Given. Educational Theory 37(1): 61-68.
- Johnson, Tony W. (1988) Who is Harry Stottlemeier and What Did He Discover? Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children Vol. 7(4): S6-S9.
- Johnson, Tony W. 1995. Philosophy for Children: Implementing Dewey’s Vision. Chapter 7 of Johnson’s Discipleship or Pilgrimage? The Educator’s Quest for Philosophy. Albany: State University of New York Press.
- Kata, Betta (1986) The Baseball Game. Analytic Teaching 6(2): 32-33.
- Katzner, Louis I. (1978) Review of Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery. Newsletter on the Teaching of Philosophy. Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 51(6): 804-805.
- Mandel, Sylvia (1986) Mr. Partridge’s Challenge. Analytic Teaching 6(2): 41.
- Morelli, Karen (1986) Not Choosing to be Born. Analytic Teaching 6(2): 42.
- Lindop, Clive (1989) Harry 17: Judgment, Perspective and Philosophy. Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children 8(3): 39-40.
- Morehouse, Richard (1982) A Short and Unscientific Evaluation of Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery. Analytic Teaching 3(1): 9-10.
- Morehouse, Richard (1989) Why is Harry So Compelling? A Teacher Training Perspective. Analytic Teaching 9(2): 126.
- Nickel, Caroline (1983) Oklahoma Meets Harry Stottlemeier. Analytic Teaching 3(2): 21-28.
- Nussbaum, Martha (2010) Socratic Pedagogy. Chapter 4 of Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities, pp. 47-77. Princeton University Press.
- O’Hagan, Madeleine (1989) Harry Discovers Reality: A Beginning Teacher’s Experience with Harry. Analytic Teaching 9(2): 5-6.
- Oscanyan, Frederick S. (1976) A Critical Look at Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery. Teaching Philosophy 1(4): 447-454.
- Palsson, Hreinn (1988) Educational Saga: Doing Philosophy with Children in Iceland. Ph.D. Dissertation, Michigan State University, 322 pages.
- Pineda R., Diego Antonio (2014) Apuntes para la comprensión de “El descubrimiento de Harry”, de Matthew Lipman [Notes for understanding “Harry’s Discovery”, by Matthew Lipman]. Análisis 47(86): 21-68.
- Plaut, Jr., Walter N. (1988) Voltaire and Harry, Chapter 14. Analytic Teaching 8(2): 87-88.
- Plaut, Jr., Walter N. (1988) Marianne Moor and Harry. Analytic Teaching 8(2): 106-107.
- Raitz, Keith L. (1992) Philosophy for Children in Guatemala: Latin American Adventures of the Gringo, Harry Stottlemeier. Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children 10(2): 6-12.
- Sanguinet, Pam (1986) A Tree in the Desert to Climb. Analytic Teaching 7(1): 36-38.
- Sasseville, Michel (1991) Chapter One of Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery: An Integrative Crucible of Critical and Creative Thinking. Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children 9(2): 28-30.
- Sofo, Frank and Michael Witty (1986) Who Should Run Schools? Analytic Teaching 7(1): 22-23.
- Splitter, Laurence J. (1988) A Guided Tour of the Logic in Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery. Analytic Teaching 8(2): 71-86.
- Vriesacker, Jim (1989) Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery: A Teacher’s View. Analytic Teaching 9(2): 124-125.
- Wright, Judy (1986) Reflections. Analytic Teaching 7(1): 45-46.
- Yuan, Jinmei (2010) Can Aristotelian Logic be Translated into Chinese: Could There be a Chinese Harry Stottlemeier? VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.
Recommended Citation
Lipman, Matthew (1982) Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery. Montclair, NJ: Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children. URL https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/middle_schl_curriculum/1.
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Comments
Grade Range: 4-7; Target Grades: 5-6